


Flower Delivery

by honestgrins



Series: To Rely on the Kindness of Strangers [10]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:10:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5998248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: your take on boss/secretary drabble with klaus & caroline, respectively. human please!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Flower Delivery

The phone rang, jarring Caroline’s focus from her computer and the mess of a schedule it held. The CEO’s assistant had just left for her maternity leave, and the man clearly had no idea how to use his calendar without supervision. As the company’s executive office manager, Caroline’s innate organizational prowess was legendary help in temporary staffing situations. This, however, was on a whole other level.

Unable to let the phone go unanswered, Caroline quickly picked up the receiver. “Klaus Mikaelson’s office, Caroline speaking,” she greeted cordially.

“Hey, Care,” April chirped on the line. “You have a delivery at reception, want me to send him back?”

“Sure, thank you,” Caroline replied, hanging up without further chitchat. She had some serious work to do on this schedule.

* * *

She had just finished shifting some meetings when a young man arrived with a large bouquet of flowers. Caroline thanked him, and he left her to goggle over the ornate arrangement.

“Those are gorgeous,” Elena sighed, creeping over from her nearby desk. “I’m between boyfriends at the moment, but I’m glad someone’s getting flowers today.”

“Who are they from, Care,” Bonnie asked, peeking over her own computer.

Blushing into a pink lily, Caroline shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said with a smile.

Elena hunted for a note, jumping triumphantly when she found one. “‘Genuine beauty,’” she read, frowning. “There’s no name.”

“A secret admirer,” Bonnie said excitedly. “Who could it be?”

Caroline opened her mouth, but Klaus Mikaelson strode up before she could answer. “Good morning, Caroline.”

“Mr. Mikaelson,” she greeted, standing to follow him into his office. “Your 9:30 will be arriving shortly, and I’ll have a coffee tray brought in. I’ve moved your 11 to later this afternoon, as I have some prospects for your temporary assistant I’d like you to meet with.”

“I thought I had you for the duration,” he asked, smirking at her as he hung up his coat.

With a stern glare, Caroline crossed her arms. “I am happy to cover your desk in the meantime, but the sooner I can train a temp, the sooner I can get back to my actual job,” she clarified. “If that’s all, I left your messages on your desk, and I’ll be outside.”

“Thank you,” Klaus said in a conciliatory tone.

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Caroline nodded and turned on her heel to go back to Marjorie’s desk.

In the four years she had worked at Wolf Industries, Caroline became everyone’s Girl Friday. Klaus Mikaelson and the other executives knew very well that the company would fall apart without her. Despite the typical office politics, Caroline earned all the respect granted to her by those most would consider her superiors.

If that meant calling even Klaus Mikaelson on his crap, then so be it.

* * *

“Is it that football player you dated a while back,” Bonnie asked. “Matt something?”

Caroline remained silent. Bonnie and Elena had taken it upon themselves to discover Caroline’s secret admirer, and she had been less than helpful at narrowing down their list of suspects.

“No, that British guy who always flirts with her, from Accounts,” Elena countered. “Enzo.”

A throat cleared from behind Caroline, and the girls just giggled at their desks.

Turning, Caroline found Klaus looking less amused. Instead, she focused on the woman standing next to him. “Thank you for coming over, Nora,” Caroline said. “I’ll let you know if we need to steal you from Legal for Marjorie’s maternity leave.”

Nora said her goodbyes as Caroline followed a stoic Klaus inside his office. “How did the interview go,” Caroline asked. “Is she a good fit?”

“I wasn’t aware you spent so much time in Accounts,” Klaus said, ignoring her question. “Do I need to have words with Enzo Augustine about appropriate workplace behavior?”

“That won’t be necessary, I’m a big girl who can take care of myself,” Caroline answered in clipped tones. “Now, Nora?”

Frowning, Klaus shrugged. “I protect my people, Caroline, you know this.”

“And I’m telling you I don’t need your protection,” she said. “Nora, yes or no?”

“Maybe,” he sighed. “Any others?”

A knock on the door disrupted the moment, and a dark-haired man poked his head in. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, looking abashed toward Caroline. “You weren’t at your desk, and I know you said Mr. Mikaelson doesn’t have much time to spare for interviews.”

“This is Tyler Lockwood,” Caroline introduced, sending Klaus a meaningful look to be nice. “He’s an intern from Finance, but he was very persistent in seeking out executive experience.”

“Meaning I pestered Caroline at least once a day since Marjorie announced her pregnancy,” Tyler teased flirtatiously. Coughing, he seemed to remember it was an interview. “But I really would appreciate the opportunity to work with you.”

Klaus looked to Caroline, almost incredulous at the little puppy’s exuberance. With her warning glance, though, he knew that she wanted to give the kid a chance. He raised a hand for Tyler to take a seat, and Caroline left them to it, ignoring the burn of his gaze on her back.

* * *

It wasn’t unusual for Caroline to be the last person to leave the executive suite at the end of the workday. Even working from Marjorie’s desk, she had plenty to do until she felt confident calling it quits.

Looking at her flowers again, she found herself smiling foolishly. She packed up her purse before shifting the beautiful flowers into her arms for the commute home.

“Perfect timing,” Klaus said, making her stop short. “Please allow me to walk you out.”

Caroline rolled her eyes, but chose not to say anything.

Klaus just smirked. “I heard the other assistants were quite annoyed that you had no idea who your secret admirer might be,” he said. “Who knew flowers could cause such an uproar?”

It wasn’t until they reached the elevator and the doors closed that Caroline spoke. “Imagine how much worse it might have been had they known my ‘admirer’ was actually their boss,” she said mischievously. Annoyance quickly took over, though. “What were you thinking, sending flowers when I’m working directly under you?”

Klaus crowded her into the elevator corner, hands automatically finding their favorite place on her hips. “I happen to like you working under me,” he whispered, nipping at her ear.

Scoffing, Caroline pushed him back before the elevator could reach the ground floor. “We agreed not to take our relationship public for a reason, Klaus,” Caroline admonished. Though they were quite serious about each other, four months could still be categorized as ‘new.’

“Forgive me for wanting to be a good Valentine,” Klaus muttered childishly, pushing the button repeatedly as though it would make the elevator move faster.

Caroline deflated at his miserable expression, and she leaned over to place a sweet kiss on his cheek. “You’re the perfect Valentine,” she admitted. “Which was so annoying since I couldn’t even thank you properly in the office.”

“You’re welcome,” Klaus said, mollified until a thought occurred to him. “But don’t think I’ll forget about Augustine flirting with you, or Lockwood pestering you everyday. Secret or not, you are mine, love.”

Rolling her eyes, Caroline swept out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. “I’ll let you try and convince me of that when you come over for dinner in an hour,” she said softly, mindful of any people nearby. “But good luck.”

Eyes twinkling, Klaus smirked deeply. He took that as a challenge.


	2. Work Hazards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: about your "flower delivery" drabble: it was so good! i suspected as i read further that caroline knew the flowers were from klaus. would it be greedy to ask for a drabble showing what led to klaus & caroline falling for each other &/or a drabble where elena & bonnie find out who caroline's "secret admirer" is?

Panting, Caroline rolled off of Klaus to settle next to him on the bed. “Best Valentine’s ever,” she whispered, laughing hoarsely as she tried to catch her breath.

“No arguments here, love,” he said, pulling her closer. Their dinner had been wonderfully intimate, hidden inside her apartment. Secret rendezvous had their advantages, including the freedom to give into the game of footsie Caroline had started under the table. Klaus took that initiative and left their half-eaten pasta when he carried her to the bedroom.

“Like you’d know,” Caroline scoffed playfully. “I seem to remember several speeches over the commercialization of romance contributing to your hatred of relationships.”

Klaus placed a sweet kiss on her temple, smiling into her tousled hair. “I know that we’ve had this conversation before,” he answered. “You seemed to believe my change of heart then.

* * *

_Late nights at the office were the norm for Caroline, always needing to clear her to-do list before heading home. Klaus usually had client meetings to maintain a steady stream of investors for the company, so she was surprised to find his office still alight._

_“Klaus,” she called, noting the executive suite was otherwise deserted. “I hope it’s you in there, because this place looks post-apocalyptic in the dark.”  
_

_“No zombies coming for you, love,” Klaus said, waving for her to enter when she reached his doorway. He tossed a notebook on his desk, giving her the full force of his attentive smirk. “You’re here late.”  
_

_“Look who’s talking,” she countered with a smile. “Big project I should know about?”  
_

_Actually looking sheepish, Klaus glanced down. “Hiding from my sister,” he admitted. “I begged off a double date she set me up with, and I wouldn’t put it past her to call my office.”_

_“To check if you’re really working,” Caroline asked, incredulous. “That’s cute. You’re scared of your sister.”  
_

_“I’m not scared of her,” Klaus clarified, expression darkening. “Bekah’s just a bit petulant when we don’t blindly follow her instructions for life.”  
_

_Caroline nodded, pouring them both a drink from Klaus’s personal stash. “Hence the date?”_

_“A friend of hers that I would just adore,” he said mockingly, accepting the glass Caroline handed him. “She thinks I need a wife.”  
_

_“Do you,” Caroline asked with a teasing smile. She sat across from him, but leaned back to place her feet on his desk as she sipped her own drink. “I’ve never seen you with the same woman twice.”  
_

_Klaus shrugged. “Why bother with a relationship when I know it’s not the right woman,” he mused._

_Frowning, Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. “You say that like you already have someone in mind,” she accused._

_“Don’t I, sweetheart?”_

_Eyes wide, Caroline gripped her glass. “Klaus-”_

_“You never did take me up on that dinner invitation,” he pointed out, remembering his dogged persistence in asking her out when she started working for the company years earlier.  
_

_Rolling her eyes, Caroline felt on familiar ground. “Because dating the boss is always such a good way to start a new job,” she said, looking down at her glass. “You haven’t brought that up in a while.”_

_“Just biding my time, love,” he answered.  
_

_She glanced back up, only to find his expression so soft and focused entirely on her. He had all but admitted that he only wanted a relationship with her. “We work together,” she said, coughing delicately as she righted herself in the chair. “You’re technically my boss.”_

_“And I’d really like to take you to dinner,” he said, unconcerned. “What do you say?”  
_

_Her tongue dragged across her lips unconsciously, and she quickly finished her drink with a final gulp. She dropped her glass on the desk as she stood._

_Worried he had pushed too far, Klaus tried to backpedal. “Caroli-”_

_Rather than storm out like she feared, though, Caroline just walked around his desk to kiss him in his chair. Nearly four years of unresolved tension had Caroline straddling him quickly, the kiss taking on a life of its own as Klaus finally processed and reciprocated._

_Pulling back, Caroline licked her lips again. “Maybe,” she panted, “we should keep this between us. For a while, at least.”_

_Nodding, Klaus stole another kiss. “Fine with me,” he whispered against her lips. “I just want you.”_

* * *

Caroline shrugged against him, peppering kisses on his neck and shoulder. “Honestly, I still wasn’t sure you wanted a relationship with me,” she said.

Frowning, Klaus pulled away to look at her. “And you still let me take you home that night?”

“What can I say,” she teased, rubbing her nose against his. “You were really cute, hiding from your baby sister.”

Biting his lip to keep from smiling, Klaus shifted to tickle her waist. “That’s it,” he muttered. “You asked for it.”

Laughing, Caroline squirmed out of his reach until she could catch his lips with hers. Resting her forehead against his, she beamed up at him. “I love you,” she whispered, a bit hesitant.

Klaus paused, his expression of shock melting into a shy grin. “I love you, too,” he whispered back. Frowning again, though, he tenderly stroked her hip with his thumb. “Does that mean we can go public now?”

Pressing a kiss to his nose, Caroline giggled. “It really bothered you that Bonnie and Elena sent the flowers, didn’t it,” she asked. “You just want people to know I’m yours.”

“I just want you,” he corrected. “Though, it would be nice for others to know you’re spoken for.”

“Would it make you happy,” she asked softly, watching him carefully.

“You make me happy,” he answered shyly. For someone so shamelessly naked in her bed, Klaus Mikaelson was a big softie when it came to real emotions. “I don’t want to hide that anymore.”

“Okay.”

Klaus looked up, looking positively shellshocked. “Really?”

“Really,” she affirmed, happily accepting his immediate kiss. They took a breath, and Caroline smiled widely. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Klaus.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, love.”


End file.
